Batteryless flashlight



July 1,1941. G. w. ALEXANIVDER 2,247,901

BATTERYLESS FLASHLIGHT Filed April 24. "1940 s sneets sh et 1 19" I7? vezafiz' dz fmfl 6,34%

July 1, 1941. G. w. ALEXANDER BATTERYLESS FLASHLIGHT Filed April 24. 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1941- G. w. ALEXANDER 2,247,901

BATTERYLE'SS FLASHLIGHT Filed April 24, 1940. s Sheds-Sheet 3 4 440. //////77j I affirizga Patented July 1, 1941 UNITED STA ES PATENT, oF-Fics My present invention relates flashlights and more particularly to animproved batteryiess flashlight in which a spring motor furnishesthe ,motive power to operate. .a. small generator furnishing the electrical current which operates the small incandescent flashlight lamp.

The principal object of my invention is an improved batteryless flashlight;

Another object is to provide a mechanism for furnishing electrical energy to an incandescent lamp in which the speed of the electrical gene erator may be varied at will, and I Other'objects and novel features comprising the construction and operation of my invention will be apparent as the description of the same progresses.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred em bodiment of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation oi the flashlight; Fig. 2 is another side elevation taken at ninety degrees to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the lineI-I Fig. 2, one end being cut away ior convenience;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the e 4-4 t of Fig. 3, the lower end being' broken on for convenience;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line H of Fig. 3, the top oi the flashlight being broken the adjacent side with w by means of the pin 20.

0n the side of the reel i0 adjacent to the ratchet wheel I5, I have provided a pin 2| on which is pivoted-a pawl member M which is vliiisintiiined in contact with the ratchet teeth by means 01 a tension spring 22 pivoted on pin 23 mounted in the face ofthe reel i6.

Anchored to the lower end of the flashlight casing is a coil spring 24 the upper end of which- 10 engages through an eye member 25 located on the inner side of theeslide member 26. The eye member 25 is slotted to admit the en-d of the tape i'l, thespring end passing both through the eye 25 and the end of the tape H. In the adjacent side II' o! the flashlight casing is a slot II; in which the central portion 28 oi the slide member 28 operates. At the upper end of the slot 21 is an onset recess 29 into which the central portion 2| 0! the,slide 26 may be placed for the purpose of locking the slide.

when the slide meinber 2 6 is pulled upward inthe slot 21 toward the recess 28, the flat coil spring it causes the reel It to rotate in a countor-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 4. Dur- Referring more in detail the drawings, ll

'. indicates the broad side oi the flashlight and H indicates the narrow side. The upper end of the two sides terminate in a round end fltted with a screw cap I! which clamps the lens II to the flashlight casing in the conventional manner. i

In the upper portion of the flashlight casing. and iournalled in the two broad sides II is a shaft H which has pinned thereto a ratchet I wheel It. Journalled on the shaft ll adjacent spring II is' pinned to the adjacent side of the reel II, as indicated at ll, see Fig. 6, the other or outer end oi the spring ll being anchored to 55 ing this operation, themawl 2| which is pivoted to the side of the reel 18 revolves around the ratchet wheel I 8; When the slide member 26 is released, the spring 24 which is much stronger than the flat coil spring I 8 causes the reel Ii to reverse its direction to a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 4 and the pawl Ii now engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel l5 causing the shaft M to rotate.

Pinned to the other end of the shaft I4 is gear II and fly-wheel 3i. gear 30 is a gear train comprising the gear 32 pivoted at 33 in the'bracket II and side wall III. Engaging with the gear 32 is a pinion 35 which is solidly fixed to an adjacent gear 3 bothbeing pivoted at" in the bracket 38 and side wall ll. Engaging with the gear 38 is a pinion 39 which ,is solidly flxed to an adjacent gear 40 both being pivoted at II in the bracket 42 and side wall ll. pinion 43 i'ixed on the shaft ll of the rotatable member of the generator 45 which is supported from the bottom or the flashlight casing by means of the base-member l. The shaft 44 is iournalled in a bracket 41 attached to one side ll, o f the flashlight casing, the other end be pivoted in the opposite side.

In operation. the generator output from the wires II are directly connected to the two'sldes of the filament of an incandescent lamp located in the'top of the flashlight. and when the slide Engaged with the Engaging with the gear 40 is a. Y.

member is released from th high point adjacent voltage at the incandescent lamp, I have provided a spring brake member 5| fixed to the side wall It at 52. This spring member 5| is provided with a bowed central portion in which is located an opening 53 through which passes the shaft 44 of the generator; The other end of the bowed spring member 5| is fixed to a threaded stud H which is slidably mounted in a slot 55 located in the side ID of the flashlight casing. A threaded nut member 56 engages the threaded stud 54 on the outside face of the side wall it. By pressing upward on the nut 65 the pressure of the bowed portion of the spring 5! against the side of the pinion 43 may be increased or decreased at will to control the speed of the generator shaft 44, or the spring pressure may be fixed at any point by tightening the nut 56.

The drawings illustrating my invention are more or less diagrammatic in form and I may vary the shape and proportions somewhat in actual practice and I may use several springs similar to spring 24, etc., all of which being duplications of the mechanisms shown and all falling within the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

In a batteryless flashlight, a casing, a drive shaft journalled in said casing, a ratchet wheel pinned to said shaft, a reel journalled on said shaft, a spiral spring located between said reel and oneside of said casing, one end of said spring anchored to said casing and the other end anchored to said reel, a pawl pivoted on said reel and engaged with said ratchet wheel said pawl being provided for the purpose of locking said reel to said drive shaft when said reel is rotated in one direction, a gear pinned to said shaft, an electric generator mounted in said casing, said generator having a rotatable shaft journailed in said casing, a pinion fixed to said generator shaft, intermediate pinions and gears connecting said generator shaft pinion with said drive shaft gear, a tension spring attached at one end to said casing, a tape attached at one end to said reel the other end being attached to said tension spring, a slot located in the side of said casing, a slide member located in said slot, said slide member attached on the inside of said casing to said tape and the extensible end of said tension spring, a friction brake spring engaging one side of said generator shaft pinion, means for regulating the tension of said brake spring on said generator shaft pinion.

GEORGE W. ALEXANDER. 

